Determining Oil Level Without Sight Glass

I can't see through the sight glass on my XJ. Long term answer is to clean it, but I was wondering if there was a way to get an idea if I need to add oil any other way, without waiting on a low oil light to come on.

I know my bike burns oil....and I've had the light come on in the past and added oil at that time, but this seems like a poor approach to the problem. Or does the light come on early enough that I'm not damaging anything and if I add oil immediately I'm good to go...? 8O

 

Clean the sight glass.

If it gets low enough for the light to come on under hard acceleration, that's one thing. But if it gets low enough for the light to be on under "normal operating conditions" that's not good.

All it takes to clean the sight glass is to pull the clutch cover.

 

ok, thanks

 

what is required to pull the clutch cover? drain oil, pull off cover, clean glass, clean off old gasket, replace gasket, put on clutch cover? if that's it than I'm all for it

 

if you put the bike on its side stand you dont have to drain the oil, but if you are going to drain the oil well i guess it doesnt matter,dont do what i did and get the wrong gasket, it broke my heart waiting to get the right one without being able to ride, nearly 3 weeks,should have just got it straight away from len (xj4ever)the 1st time.

 

and ive gotten a new computer since last time I was on. can anyone tell me the link to that fische so I can save it in my bookmarks

thanks again

 

Couldn't see through my glass either at first. I used SeaFoam and a q-tip and just did the whole 'wax on' - 'wax off' routine on the outside only-all clean. It was a firmly caked on layer of oil and dirt that just needed a solvent and cotton swab-no need to pull the clutch cover.

 

You don't have to wait for a New Gasket!
Make your own.

First appeared:
Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:46 AM

Old School Method
"The Lipstick Trick"
by: Rick Massey

The biggest expense for doing your own clutch is the Clutch Case Gasket. You'll want to cry when the Parts Guy tells you how much it is.

The heck with that.
Make your own out of some high-quality gasket material.
All you need is a roll of masking tape, a sheet of some top-shelf gasket material, sharp scissors, razor cutting tool with new blades and, ...
one tube of your Old Lady's finest lipstick.

You remove the moving parts from the cover so it will lie flat when the time comes.
Clean-off the mating surfaces where the gasket needs to go.

Cut-out and tape-down, on a clean FLAT surface, a section of gasket making material large enough for the whole Clutch Cover.
Tape-down a sanding block (screwdriver, or any other object) to the outside of the cover to use as a temporary little "Handle".
Pop the top off the lipstick and put a real nice coat of lipstick on the Clutch case's mating surface, all over the edge where the gasket needs to go.

Hold-on to the "Handle" you made, and carefully set the Clutch Case straight-down onto the surface of the taped-down gasket making material. Then, put a little pressure on the case ... giving the gasket material a really nice "Kiss". (Don't smear the lipstick)

Lift-off the case and you'll have a --> PERFECT <-- pattern on the material to follow for cutting-out your own (good-as or better than) new, Clutch Case Gasket.

Kiss the Dealer good-bye!

Since this article first appeared, I have smoothed-out the process even further.
Now, I have a "Self-Healing" X-Acto Cutting Mat
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VK ... B0013CKM2A

Pearlized Straight Pins
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/prod ... ID=prd3139

 

Hey Pabst - At night time, if you shine a flashlight in the "fill" hole, and bike on centerstand, can you see anything in your oil window??

And wouldn't it self-clean over time with fresh oil changes??

 

I was unsuccessful at finding the gasket number on the fische so I could ge a quote, but I love this suggestion. thanks for the help

 

I was just in the process of taking the clutch cover off, but how do i get the clutch cable disconnected from the cover?

 

Slacken the clutch cable

release the cable end from the throw out arm

pull cover off

You do not need to remove the throw out arm to pull the cover from the motor

 

My PO had spray painted over the sight glass. Had to scratch off the paint, I would try cleaning the outside and the inside with the Q-Tip before removing the housing.

 

ys i hsve it off...its on the inside. cleaning it off with q-tips. the gasket seems as though its rubbery and not paper. its in full form, and i think since that cover is so easy to come off that i will just test it as it...with a bit of gasket sealer on the engine side

 

now that im in there (famous last workds) is there anything that i should look at in there? I doubt it would be helpful, but i took a picture of what was in there. i dont know if you can tell wear just from looking at it there

 

I was wondering, does anyone know how many foot lbs or inch lbs that I torque these bolts to?

thanks

 

This is a picture of the inside. does this look normal, or does this picture really show nothing. Just wanting to see if something looks out of the oridinary and should be looked after

 

Looks about like it should.

Clutch spring bolt is 7.2ft-lbs

Clutch cover isn't specified in the Haynes (that I could find) so standard 5mm torque setting should be 3.5 - 4.5 ft-lbs

 

Cover bolts are 7.2 ft/lb too.

If you're re-using the gasket, and using sealer, "glue" it to the cover not the engine.

 

Thanks Fitz. Added that to the "Haynes supplement" lol

 

Off topic a bit - I'm working on my Venture Royale (slowly) and found a carb screw laying there inside at the bottom.

Damn neighborhood kids !!

 

hey guys, i took the cover off and cleaned the sight glass. Now the cover is back on, but I dont think that the piece that hooks to the clutch is normal. There is very little movement in it, and I dont know if there was something special I was suppose to do to it when putting the cover back on. I have a picture and that is how it is...is this correct

 

It's rotated about 120* around, and should be under the bracket in the upper left. You could also have it on "upsidown" , which matters alot less.

 

I actually didnt take that flappy thing off. just the cover. now that part doesnt move really...does this mean I have to take the cover off again and redo it, or can i take that flappy part off and just change it to be correct

 

OK - - you engaged the "teeth" incorrectly inside the cover, and I think you have to remove it and re-set the shaft for proper motion (I only did this once).

Your "flappy thing" is at 2 O-Clock, and needs to end up at 10, maybe 9:30

Then search for RickCoMatic's excellent clutch adjusting tutorial.

 

wow...i really screwed myself there. I put a bit of locktight on each bolt.

 

Just came back from the garage, don't pull your cover, the shaft has teeth all the way 'round.

Pull the "C" clip and move the lever around and you should be good.

 

I already had taken it off. It looks good, but then i tried to line it up at the 10o'clock area with no success. that centre bolt with the teeth on it really makes things hard.

 

oh ya...and what's the C clip?

 

There's a thin clip at the "flappy thing (technical term) that you carefully pry away while holding everything in a towel, because "C" clips take off !!

You're not done yet??

 

no...believe it or not I am lost. is there a way to line this flappy thing up correctly so I dont have to take off this c-clip and stuff?

 

Yeah, it's basically trial and error once you get close,

But since there's only so many splines, you could use a piece of masking tape and make a mark when you initially line things up, then assemble, then try again a couple MM over to engage the next "tooth"

You'll get it on the 4th try !!

 

the problem is i have a gasket/sealer to worry about too. So maybe re-assemble like I had it before...and then adjust the flappy thing afterwards?

 

Yeah, that's the whole point of pulling the "C" clip, which is no big deal, but the spline count is different, (on either end of the actuating "axle") which only means that you would re-adjust your clutch a little.

Either way works !

 

thanks...i"ll have to take a look tomorrow

 

"Flappy thing?" Really? I love how everyone's perfectly happy to keep calling it that.

It's the clutch throwout lever.

It has a mark or "pip" on its "heel" that lines up with a little "pip" on the case when it's in the correct position.

Take it OFF; rotate the shaft CLOCKWISE (viewed from above) until it stops. At this point the shaft has taken up all the slack inside the mechanism; then reinstall the lever in the correct position (with the "pips" aligned.)

That will get you in the ballpark. It may be necessary to "back up" the lever by one set of spline teeth to get proper clutch operation.

 

does it make sense that the flappy thing only has about 1/4 inch of movement? i put the cover back on, and I figured I would check that I have it on properly before I go adjusting the thing.

 

i got that c clamp off and adjusted it how you sad (the little scratch marks on the flappy thing and the bump on the part attached to the motor) it seems as though it's in the correct position too. I hooked the clutch cable back up to the part and also to the clutch lever. I was adjusting the clutch turny thing that is attached to the lever, and it ran out of thread and it popped out. I put it back in, but it is right at the end and the handle is still loosey goosey and not near tight enough. Is there a secondary place to loosen/tighten the clutch cable. I dont remember if there was when I took it off.

thanks for the help guys. Im getting there slowly but surely

 

There should be a set of "jam nuts" on the clutch housing end of the cable, where it goes thru the bracket.

Set the adjustment at the handlebar approximately in the middle, and adjust the position of the bottom of the cable using those two nuts. If you can't get it close, you may need to "back up" the lever by one set of spline teeth. Once you've got your "raw" adjustment done at the bottom, you "fine tune" it at the bar.

 

I think (famous last words) that I got it taken care of. thanks for the help with this guys!

 

I got it all adjusted. Thanks for the info guys. Looking at the bottom metal piece that attaches the clutch cable to the motor...looks as though I will have to get a new piece like that or get one fabricated. This one has torn at the bend and the portion that is attached directly to the clutch cable has sort of bent upwards. Likely a good clutch adjustment cant be done like that.